BY KRISTINA ROSEN
In an effort to engage the local community, Lockbox launched a new cocktail class series called Cocktail, Savings & Booze.
The new series is held once a month on Sunday afternoons and led by Lockbox mixologist and bartender, Norma Beekman. Each class is an hour long as Beekman walks guests through the process of making three original cocktails.
Lockbox isn’t your typical hotel bar or restaurant and that’s where the inspiration for this new series came from.
“I hope these classes make people who live in Lexington want to experience Lockbox, and feel like they can,” says Beekman, who has been part of the Lockbox team since day one.
One of the main purposes Lockbox released this new series is to highlight their Bourbon Passport Club, a perks program for attending special events hosted by Lockbox. For every event you attend, you can receive a stamp that is redeemable for points towards different rewards, including discounted food at Lockbox, discounted room rates at 21c, and tickets to private tours at Old Forester or Castle & Key.
Receive a stamp for attending special events like Fork & Bottle Dinners and bourbon tastings, or ordering a bourbon flight at the Lockbox bar. Beekman says she keeps the bourbon passports at the bar, so people don’t have to worry about losing it.
Each cocktail class has a different theme and features three original cocktail recipes. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Beekman draws inspiration from classic, popular cocktails, but puts her spin on it. Guests receive a syllabus with the original cocktail recipes and Norma’s version of it.
Last month’s theme was Pop Stars to coincide with 21c’s Opening Gallery for their Pop Stars! exhibition. July’s theme is Tiki inspired, where guests will learn how to make a pina colada the right way and play bourbon tiki trivia.
“My favorite part of these classes, especially as I’m hosting, I’m already thinking about how I can make each one better than the next.”
The theme for August will be a collaboration with Justice House of Bourbon, September will be with Four Roses and followed by a Fork & Bottle Dinner, November will feature holiday punches (from Beekman’s great grandmother’s recipe book), and December will be a Christmas cookie and bourbon pairing class. There are no classes during Keeneland months, but the 21c offers free bourbon tastings in the lobby to earn stamps during October and April.
“Our goal is to elevate Lockbox. We want to bring in people from the local community who had never been to Lockbox, or didn’t even know it was here,” says Jennifer Davis. “You don’t have to stay at the hotel to enjoy the amenities Lockbox has to offer.”
The Cocktail, Savings & Booze series is held once a month on Sundays at 3 pm. Classes are $35 per person and participants must be 21 or older. 2019 dates include: July 14, August 11, September 1, November 10 and December 9.
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